Thursday, January 1, 2015

The Resolution Time of Year~

Here I am again, thinking about resolutions. I've accomplished much and would like to do even more. These are just a few of my wishes for 2015~

1. Find the writing/exercise/work balance

I've found over the last couple years it's very hard to all three things equally. If I work hard at the day job, the writing and/or the exercise tends to slip. Being a mother, I'm a natural multi-tasker, but I often feel I'm tasked out some days! When do I fit it all in?? I have to get back on my exercising track. After spending much of 2014 writing, I fear that's the piece that's slipped the most. I have a FitDesk that my son spends more time on than I do. That's going to have to change.

2. Promote my new book

Vessel is coming out from Month9Books in May 2015! It's been a long wait and I'm excited to have a new book out! I've been plotting a sequel in my mind for this one, reading some scifi to get my head around it. I hope to actually write a draft in 2015, just in case the publisher decides its sequel-worthy. :)

3. Finish what I've started

I wrote two new drafts in 2014 that are both far from finished! 2015 is the year they get done and sent out for query. I would like to resolve to have an new agent in 2015 too. I've had a few nibbles, but it's a lot of waiting to see, which I'm not very good at. I guess I'll just have to resolve to be more patient, but if I have anything to do with it, 2015 will be the year The Color of Water finds a publishing home.

4. Do something I've never done before

Not sure what this will be, but I'll let you know when I figure it out. It won't be anything crazy like bungee jumping or climbing Mt. Everest, but it will be good. I'm sure an opportunity will present itself.

5. Read more widely

I read a lot of young adult, which I enjoy, but I want to read outside my usual stuff, just to have a better idea of what's out there. The YA I write is not like a lot of other YA out there. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I like to think it's the result of reading outside my niche and pulling in some unique elements. (all right, cue eye roll.)

6. Write more stories

There are a lot more stories out there I want to write: more steampunk, more gothic, more scifi. Last June I was able to write a complete first draft in a month. It might be a complete wreck, but it can be fixed. A first draft is half the battle and having an outline helps so much. I resolve to have a new outline ready to go for JuNoWriMo again this year and to continue with the monthly writing challenges I've been participating in. It's so nice to know you have buddies out there in cyber-land chasing the same dreams you are and sharing the struggle with a sympathetic ear.